Unsubtle Desires
by SweetAngelofMusic
Summary: When Penelope is asked to come along with the team on a murder case in Albuquerque, Morgan finds himself unable to concentrate on the job at hand. Romance is inevitable as he and his best friend find themselves trying to hide unsub-tle desires. Steamy.
1. Bad Boy Bad Boy

**A/N-I sadly do not own any rights to 'Criminal Minds'. I'm still getting over the fact that I own zero rights to Buffy, Chuck & Pushing Daisies. BTW-You like what I did with the title? Har, Har, Har! **

***SPOILER***

**Takes place before the "murder" of Prentiss. No other synchronized order except for that. **

**Morgan/Garcia**

**Unsub-tle Desires**

**Bad Boy, Bad Boy**

**Chapter 1**

Penelope Garcia stared blankly at her computer screen. Her attention was purely fixated on the website open on the large screen. She should have been focusing her attention on the recent Albuquerque serial murder case; instead of the facebook page of one, Derek Morgan.

One would assume that the FBI was entirely against social networking sites such as facebook or MySpace, but that's what made Penelope smile; Derek Morgan the rebel.

She stared at his profile picture; dark shades, white dimpled smile and swooned; wishing she was relaxing on that beach in the picture with him. His alias was Derek Moore and he kept all of his information well protected. Penelope was stoked when she first realized that she was his first friend on the site; it made her giddy for a solid week and a half.

She'd been head over heels in love with her best friend since the moment she met him. His tantalizing dark skin, his well-kept muscled chest, his friendliness, his character, his sense of humor—it sucked her in like a vacuum cleaner to a cob-web. The way he called her "baby girl" gave her reason to breath. It was like a hallelujah chorus to her ears every time she heard her sweet prince speak.

Yet, here she was; stuck in her little room full of sinful thoughts and cuddly pictures of kittens; while he was out there saving the world. Even though she took care of all of the informational computer stuff, she always felt like there was more she could do to help. He was out there risking his life every day and she was playing solitaire on her off hour.

"Heads up." J.J. warned quickly as she walked into the room and guessed that Garcia had been staring at Morgan's image for probably a good half hour or more.

Garcia quickly clicked the flat bar and the page minimized itself.

"Just research." she said guiltily.

"Ah." J.J. replied holding back a smile. "Private case?" she asked with a coy smile. Penelope playfully glared at the only person who knew of her crush on Morgan. It wasn't something she wanted travelling around the bureau.

"Hey, Baby Girl." Derek said with a smile, walking into the room with Penelope's favorite shirt of his on his muscular chest . "Hotch is looking for copies of the victims previous addresses. We're flying to Albuquerque tonight."

"Aw, but you guys just got back." Penelope responded.

"That's the one thing about criminals, they don't care if we haven't slept in weeks." he said leaning up against the desk; arms crossed.

"I'll have some copies printed up in just a sec." Penelope replied as she dug into FBI files. The sound of the printer lightened the pressure Penelope felt as they all waited for the copies she should have had ready an hour ago. Damn facebook…

"Well, while you're out their ridding the world of puppy killers and Jersey Shore fans for me, I'll be dreaming sweet dreams of you, Gorgeous." Garcia worked her flirt and Derek smiled.

"I better be the only man in your dreams, Garcie." he responded.

"Only you, sweet thing." she reached over and grabbed all the prints out of the printer. "For Hotch, my darling." Penelope said handing the papers to Derek.

"Thank you." he replied, taking them from her hands with a gracious smile.

J.J. rolled her eyes and let a small smile escape her lips as she watched the apparent flirting going on in the room. It was kind of embarrassing to see such obvious chemistry being ignored.

"There you are." Hotch said peeking his head into the small room. "Conference room, now." he said sternly dipping out. Suddenly he poked his head back in and added-"Including you, Garcia."

All three of them looked at each other; worried, before quickly dispersing out of Penelope's small office.

**XOXO**

"Hotch, what's the update?" Morgan asked impatiently as J.J. and Hotch whispered about something to the side.

He cleared his throat and stood at the head of the table.

"Another body has been found." he informed them. The room grew still. "This is the sixth murder in a week. The unsub is working fast and seems to be choosing random targets. None of the victims had any type of personal relation."

"How about mutual friends or hang outs?" Reid asked.

"Looking at the addresses on the sheet, each victim lived as close together as we live to a Pyramid. All different neighborhoods, apartments, houses; including one who was rumored to be sleeping in a trailer near the border of Mexico."

"Who's the newest victim?" Rossi asked.

"Monica Kellar; 23 years of age, working as a waitress to pay her way through Cosmetology school." he responded. "She was found on the side of the road, strangled with a dog collar."

"Oh my God." Prentiss responded quietly to herself.

"That's horrible." Reid replied.

"Gets worse." J.J. interrupted. "She had the words "Live Free" cut into the back of her neck with what seems to be a blunt object, such as a butter knife or maybe a fingernail. That's the same quote that was etched into the other victims, just in different locations."

She displayed pictures on the board in-front of them. Penelope cringed as she saw the images. This was a bit out of her comfort zone since she stared at codes and encryptions all day. She raised her hand and spoke without hesitation.

"I hate to interrupt, but please specify why I should be in here before I vomit."

"The last thing opened on Monica Kellar's computer was a virus that redirected her to a website." Hotch informed the room.

"LiveFreeorDie dot org." J.J. said. "The Albuquerque police say that each victim had a computer, but they can't hack into the system to view the history. Two out of six computers are frozen on this website."

They all looked up and saw images of the questionable, satanic website.

"Garcia, you're coming with us to Albuquerque." Hotch commanded. "We need you to go through the files and find out who created the site and where he got their handles from."

"Yes, Sir." Penelope replied.

"Our flight leaves in an hour. Get your things together and prepare for a long trip. Dismissed." Hotch and Rossi disappeared out of the room quickly along with the rest of the clan.

"Looks like you won't be able to miss me too much, Baby Girl." Morgan said to Penelope.

"Wish it was under better circumstances, Sweets." Garcia felt instantly better as Derek put his arm around her shoulders.

"You better stay away from questionable websites, Garcie." he said jokingly. "I don't want to have to fight off another stalker of yours."

"No promises on staying off , Gorgeous."

"Hey, you can look at this for free." he implied to his fantastic body; smirking. He pulled his Penelope closer and the two walked down the hall in sync. Penelope's eyes nearly rolled into the back of head as she smelt the incredible cologne that belonged this wonderful man.

She finally got to go on another trip with the group. She was scared of facing danger, but she needed to do all she could to help. When she had Morgan by her side, she knew she was as safe as could be.

**XOXO**

Derek tried to fall asleep on the private plane as they headed for Albuquerque, but he found his mind wandering.

The smell of Garcia's Plumeria perfume made him imagine lying on the beaches of Hawaii with her by his side. His baby girl was always in his fantasies. Normally, if he liked a girl he had no problem strolling up to her, flashing his badge and in the end, getting his way because she just couldn't resist his flawless charm, but that was the old Derek Morgan. These past few years he had realized that he didn't want a fling, he wanted a real relationship; with real love, real admiration, real care; a real home in the arms of his partner.

Every time he thought about family, he thought about Garcia. She made him feel good about himself in every aspect. Penelope made him feel like when he got home in the end of the day, she would be waiting; arms open, the smell of chocolate chip cookies in the air, ah, the joy.

Derek just wanted to cuddle Penelope in his arms on a cold night. The irony was, even though he had the courage to shoot a gun, tackle murderers and rescue victims from burning buildings, he was too terrified to tell Garcia how he truly felt about her.

He sat up and smiled when he saw her working magic on her own laptop. He got up and went and took a seat next to her.

"What are you still doing up?" she asked him taking notice to everyone else who had fallen asleep during the flight.

"Stress." he replied.

"Care for a World Famous Penelope Garcia Temple Massage?" she wavered her fingers in the air.

Morgan laughed lightly and looked at her skeptically.

"Don't underestimate my power, Good-Looking." she said before moving her laptop over and forcing Morgan to lay back.

"Fine, Fine." He obliged getting comfortable.

She reached over carefully, heart racing because she was just centimeters from touching his beautiful head.

"Aw, Garcie." He moaned at the contact of her finger tips relaxing his headache. She smiled at his comment and knew she had always been destined to be on that flight with the rest of the group. "Girl, you have some talented fingers."

"I'm talented in more than one way, Hot Stuff." she replied playfully. She massaged his temples slowly, carefully. She couldn't get over the way her fingers tingled at the contact. She hovered over his body as he snuggled back into the chair that was right next to hers.

She couldn't get over how beautiful he was and how perfect his lips were. They were just begging to be kissed. His long eyelashes would make a spider envious.

That's when he slowly lifted his eyelids and smiled perfectly at the blonde bombshell. His dark eyes were so intriguing, so dangerous and safe; all the same, that Penelope stopped what she was doing and just stared down at him.

"You are incredible." He told her.

Those words sounded so wonderful coming out of his mouth.

"That I Am." she whispered.

From a few seats over, Reid quietly awoke from his short slumber. He smiled when he saw the way Garcia and Morgan looked at each other. That's when he looked over at Prentiss who was sleeping like a baby. His heart sped up as he watched her. His smile stayed where it was and her image was the last to enter his brain before he fell back asleep just a few minutes later.

"I'm glad you're coming on this trip, Garcia." he said to her.

"Me too." She replied sitting back in her seat even though she'd rather ravage Derek right there and then. _Sex in the air, I don't care, I love the smell of it… _Rihanna's song hummed in Penelope's head.

"We'll catch the killer and when we get back, I'm taking you to dinner." he said more casually than Penelope wished.

"I'm holding you to that." she replied.

Morgan smiled and leaned back. He would finally get the rest he needed; right next to his baby girl. Not exactly in the way he imagined, but it would have to do.

Penelope jumped back on her laptop and did some researching on the murders. The sooner they solved the case, the sooner she would get to have dinner with Morgan. Casual dinner? Or maybe there was an underlying tone in his proposition that he could have possibly been hinting at…Hmm

"Bad Boy, Bad Boy..." she said quietly and determinedly to the screen. "Whatcha gonna do when they come for you?"

**A/N-What do you think so far? There's plenty more where this came from, just leave a review! **

**I do not own the rights to facebook, MySpace, or Jersey Shore. **


	2. Magic

**Here's a long one for you; that's what he said! Enjoy! **

**Magic**

Chapter 2

The jet finally landed in New Mexico and the time was 1:23am. Reid yawned drowsily as he rubbed his eyes. The rest of the group walked sluggishly to the cars, except for Hotch; who seemed to not let anything slow him down. He kept his determined pace as he lead the others toward the black SUV's.

"We're going straight to the police station. After we get a rundown on the case, we can all head to the hotel and get some long overdue sleep." Hotch told them as they put their bags in the trunk.

On the car ride there, Penelope found herself having a draw with the Boogieman; and he was winning. As her head bobbed back and forth, it ended up landing on the strong shoulder of Morgan. He was barely able to keep his eyes open, but he knew he wasn't imagining her sleeping on him.

Hotch, Rossi and J.J. were all riding in one van and Prentiss, Reed, Morgan and Garcia were all riding in the second.

From where Reid was sitting, he could see Prentiss diagonally where she was in the passenger seat. His heart quickened as he watched her take an easy breath in and out as she slowly fell asleep. He smiled lightly to himself and rested his head against the side of the door and just watched her. For someone as smart as he, it was ironic that he couldn't see what was right in front of his face.

"Are we there yet?" Penelope asked childishly and Morgan laughed lightly.

"Almost." he answered easily as he got whiff of her incredibly inducing scent of shampoo. It was almost too much to bear and he found himself turning his knuckles white as his hands made fists in order to control the sudden urge that came with the encompassing aroma.

Not here, not now, not at all. This was work and he needed to stop acting like a hormonal crazed teenage boy and focus all his attention on the case. He would need to find a way to put his feelings to bed before they caused someone else to fall into bed with them.

Finally arriving at the station everyone made good use of the freshly made coffee just inside the doors. The aroma of the coffee beans was more than inviting.

Once in the conference room, Penelope took a seat next to Prentiss and listened to the game plan; waiting for her objective. There were so many computers to go through and she knew she needed either a good night's sleep to tackle them all or a case of Monsters and a giant bag of Swedish fish. If she could crack who was spamming all of these victims, she would lead them on the right track to finding the killer. She was ready for the challenge.

**XOXO**

"Sleep, mmm." Penelope said tiredly walking into the elevator with her neon pink suitcase rolling behind her.

"One thing we don't get enough of." Prentiss said with a knowing smile.

"I don't know how you guys do it." Garcia responded. "At least I get to nod of in front of the computers every now and then. When someone walks in, I pretend I'm cleaning dust out of the keyboards."

Everyone laughed as the elevator slowly took them up. Unfortunately, they all got spread out due to how packed the hotel was. The whole gang had to deal with being on three different levels.

As the elevator slowly thinned out, it was just Morgan and Penelope after Prentiss and Reid got out on the same floor.

"What room you in?" Morgan asked Garcia as the doors finally opened for them to get off.

"410." she replied. "Top of the barrel."

"408." He commented holding up his room key. "Looks like we're neighbors."

There it was again; his magnificent, kidlike smile that she loved seeing on his masculine face. It was the perfect balance.

"Call me Lady Luck." Garcia replied with the same glowing smile. Waiting for her to get in safely, Morgan watched her slide her room key and enter the room before he went into his own.

How would she be able to sleep with him right on the other side of those thin walls? Laying her suitcase on the bed, Penelope let her dirty mind take over as she tried to imagine what Derek slept in; or didn't sleep in.

The sinful thought made her blush profusely as she pulled out her own nightgown. As she stood in the shower letting the hot water cascade down her body, she imagined what it would feel like to have his strong arms wrapped around her. It was something she always thought of, but never got the satisfaction of fully enjoying. She wanted him too bad to let a cheap little fantasy even remotely settle her cravings. It would never be the same, yet it was all she had to get her through the dark, cold, lonely nights.

Stepping out of the shower, she dried off before slipping into her magenta colored silk pajamas. Climbing into bed, she touched her wall lightly. Her beloved was just on the other side, but she couldn't see, hear or feel him. She was being teased by architecture.

"Damn walls." she said to herself before snuggling down into the blankets.

**XO**

Morgan fell back on his bed almost instantly after walking into the room. As soon as his head hit the pillow, he was out like a light.

He awoke to the sound of a car horn outside a few hours later. Morgan turned over and saw his bedside clock read 6:14am. He wondered if anyone else was awake yet as he slowly sat up and yawned drowsily.

After his shower, he went and grabbed a coffee for his roommate and knocked on her door.

"One minute!" Penelope yelled hurriedly. "I'm coming! Hold on!"

Morgan waited outside, curious to the sounds that were coming from inside the room. He heard a few things crash to the floor and Garcia cuss right after. Suddenly, she whipped the door open, hand in her curler covered hair and a flushed face.

"I thought you were Hotch coming to yell at me." Penelope confessed taking a breath. "J.J. called and told me to be ready by eight, but I'm a person who is more partial to meeting at the crack of noon on Saturdays, so I've been racing back and forth trying to get ready before you all leave me."

Through her whole rant, Morgan couldn't help but just grin at the exasperated woman.

"Garcie it's only seven, calm down." Morgan handed her the coffee and proceeded into her room with a light chuckle.

"I know, but have you seen this?" she asked; insinuating her hair, as she let the door shut by itself. "These curls take up most of my already hectic schedule. It's more of a curse than a blessing from Marilyn."

Morgan flipped the blankets over on her bed so at least it looked half made before planting his butt on the soft mattress. He noticed she was wearing a knee-long jean skirt with her pajama top still on as she raced back to the vanity.

"You're a saint." She said making eye contact with him through the mirror as she toasted to him with her coffee. "How'd you sleep last night?" She continued applying her makeup as Morgan answered her question.

"I was in a dead sleep within seconds. These cases keep coming right after the other, it's my body's way of saying "Let Spiderman take care of the crime." Penelope smiled as she brushed blush lightly on her cheeks. "How was your night?"

"It was awfully lonesome." She used a fake southern accent as she spoke. "I just couldn't sleep knowing you were in the next room yonder. Seemed like a world away."

Morgan laughed as he took a swig of his much needed coffee.

"You know I was missing you too, girl."

Penelope wished all mornings could be like this; Derek surprising her with coffee and his heartwarming kiddie smile. It made her heart pitter patter just thinking about all the scenarios where he would be fulfilling her fantasies.

As she unraveled the curlers out of her hair, she watched him through the mirror.

"Oh, wait!" Garcia said getting up quickly. She ran over to her suitcase and pulled out two different blouses. "Which one is better?" she held both up for him to choose. "One says "I work on computers at the FBI and I refuse to relinquish my sense of style." Morgan chuckled at her definition. "The other screams Lady Gaga. What do you think?"

"Lady Gaga!" Derek decided solidly.

"Didn't take you long to answer that one." she said with a smile.

"Gaga's very talented."

"You mean Gaga makes you Gaga." Penelope replied as he Morgan shook his head feeling embarrassed.

"You need some privacy?" he asked her standing up.

"No, I'll be out in one minute." Penelope closed the bathroom door, but let it hang open slightly so she could hear him if he said anything. She quickly changed and returned to the vanity where she continued to take out the rest of her curlers.

"When we solve this case, I'm ordering a large lobster." Penelope said with a smile in his direction.

"Baby girl, you can order anything you'd like." He said walking over to where she was sitting. Morgan watched her through the mirror, adoration for the woman, hiding in his eyes. She was so precise when she applied her eye shadow. It was like watching an artist at work, only Morgan wanted to admire the player rather than the illustration. "You don't need all that makeup, Garcie. You look beautiful just how you are."

His words almost brought tears to her eyes. She looked up at him through the glass and wasn't sure what to say. Her gaze caught with his and for a moment, she forgot that she wasn't dreaming. It was a perfect moment. A moment that she would forever hang onto.

Right at that moment, there was a sudden knock on the door. After a quick second more, Morgan turned and went to answer the door, giving Garcia a chance to catch her breath.

"Morning." J.J. greeted quite obviously surprised to see Morgan in Penelope's room. She looked around Derek's body and politely smiled. "Sorry to intrude, I was just wondering if you had any eyeliner I could borrow. Mine just ran out." she told Penelope.

"Of course, my dutchess." Garcia handed over the liner and J.J. took it with a smile biting down on her bottom lip before giving Garcia au fait eyes without Morgan noticing. Penelope threw back an austere look, threatening her to leave right away or else.

"Don't mind me." J.J. exclaimed before slipping out of the room after nodding at Morgan soundly. Even this time, he could see a substantial amount of curiosity in her eyes. They all made promises not to profile each other, but Morgan couldn't get over the omniscient glimpse of pride he caught in her eyes. The question was, what for? Hmm…

**XOXO**

"I get an eerie feeling being in here." Penelope confessed as she walked around victim #1's bedroom. The woman who used to call it home was Jennifer Johnson; a 26 year old kindergarten teacher whose demise came with the sound of duct tape and the occasional toilet flush. Her body was found beaten to death in a truck stop bathroom outside of Albuquerque. "Live Free" was etched into her cheek.

"Just think about the job, Garcia." Hotch told her. "Prentiss and Reid are on their way to Caleb Michaels murder scene right this second and Rossi and I are on our way to the murder scene of Tyler Mission and Jessie Metzler. We'll stop by their homes when we're finished. Morgan, you accompany Garcia and see what you can dig up on Jennifer Johnson's home. If you find anything questionable in the hard drives, we need to bring them back to the lab to be fully analyzed. You have any questions, give J.J. a call, she's back at the station."

"Be careful." Morgan told them.

"You too."

Right after they left, Penelope enveloped herself in her objective and instantly got to work. As she hacked into Jennifer's laptop, Morgan took a look around the house, looking for clues.

"Wasn't a very good housekeeper." Morgan noted taking a look in her bathroom.

"She spent seven hours a day chasing kindergartners around the classroom and another five volunteering at the art center. Cut her a break." Garcia told him as she analyzed the website that was frozen past the log on screen.

"Still cleaner than my place." He expressed to her from down the hall.

"I always imagined your place looking like a YMCA." Images of Morgan working out tainted Penelope's mind and she smiled to herself. Morgan laughed and shook his head at her comment.

"Imagine my place a lot, Garcie?" She heard his flirty tone from the other side of the house.

"I'm only human, my darling." Penelope said as she worked her magic on the screen. She was fully concentrated on her job, but she always had time to flirt with Derek Morgan.

After a thorough walk through of the house, backyard and garage Morgan returned to the office where Penelope was.

"Okay, after resetting the system, I was able to hack back into her e-mail and find that the message was sent to her by a DarkDreams. You'd think that'd help me, but as soon as I examined the actual website, I realized it says at the bottom; created by DarkDreams. After researching who filed the claim for the website domain, the name is under a John Smith, who seems to have discontinued the cell service for the number listed along with giving the address of an old wearhouse somewhere downtown."

"John Smith? Nothing like a unique alias." Morgan stated.

"Exactly. So, I'm hoping he left an identifier somewhere in the internet where I can connect his name to postings, blogs, or any other social networking sites." She turned her head from the screen and gave Morgan a slow, doubtful look. He caught her gaze and drew the truth out of her. "The chances are slim that I'll be able to find any sort of connection."

Morgan sighed frustrated. He was hoping Garcia would find something that pinpointed the unsub right off the bat. Especially with her skepticism, things were not looking good.

"Alright." Morgan thought. "Alright, let's get over to victim #2's house and see if we can find anything there. Throughout my whole life, there's always been an accidental slip up. There has to be."

"Not if the unsub stayed clear of the houses. It looks like the only way we're going to track this guy down is if someone, somewhere caught sight of something they weren't supposed to see."

Morgan gave Garcia an intrigued look.

"Ever think of joining us on the battle front?" he asked her with a smile.

"Then I won't be a nerd anymore." Penelope replied standing up, taking Jennifer's laptop with her.

"Nonsense. Look at Reid."

**XOXO**

Reid and Prentiss investigated the murder scene of victim; Caleb Michaels, whose body was inconveniatnly found in the dug out of a baseball field at a park ten minutes from the first victim's house.

"Beaten to death by a bat is not a good way to go." Prentiss said as she examined where his body was found.

"He had "Live Free" written on the backside of his right hand." Reid pointed out.

"What's his story?" she asked him.

"He was a little league coach at this very field in fact. About a week ago, there was a conflict between him and one of the player's dad's. It got violent and police had to escort him out of the park."

"Do you think their argument could actually lead to murder over a baseball dispute?"

"Not about baseball. Supposedly the fight was about Caleb cheating with his wife."

Prentiss stopped and gave Reid a staggered look.

"Wow, people suck."

"On more than just sunflower seeds, apparently." Reid said taking a look at the ground in and around the dugout.

**XOXO**

Later that evening, the team returned to touch base on earlier events. Reid went walking into the conference room with a big bag of sunflower seeds and took a seat next to Rossi.

"Sunflower seeds?" Rossi asked him charmed.

"Yeah." Reid replied like a little boy. "What? I was craving them after I saw them at the baseball field." He popped one in his mouth and J.J. and Rossi smiled and shook their heads.

"Wait." Morgan said suddenly. "You had sunflower seeds at your crime scene?" he asked.

"Yeah. It's either chew, gum or seeds the player's peck on." He lifted his bag up. "Is there a problem?"

Morgan got lost in his thoughts for a minute as he ran something over in his head.

"There was a giant pile of sunflower shavings in the grass at Jennifer Johnson's house."

"Wait, I remember seeing some by the curb at Tyler Mission's house." Hotch recalled. "I didn't think anything of it due to it being such a busy street. Looks like our unsub has an addiction."

Everyone in the room looked around. This case was starting to take a turn in many different directions. Hopefully they were on the path of discovery.

"House keeping!" There was a light knock on Morgan's door later that night. He opened it without peeping through the peephole and was surprised to see Garcia standing outside.

"Baby Girl, where's your French maid uniform?" he asked welcoming Penelope in.

"In my suitcase, next to my devil horns and tiara. Gorgeous, could it be any colder in here?" she asked rubbing her bare arms. His a/c had been blasting since he turned it on this morning.

"It's summer time in Albuquerque. How can you be cold?" he asked shutting the door.

"I have very sensitive skin." she defended with humor.

"Well then, let me warm you up." He said with a trace of flirtation as he came up from behind her and rapidly ran his hands up and down her goose bumped arms. The friction caused more than just warmth to run through her body. She felt how strong his hands were and how comforting they were to be on her. She wouldn't trade this serenity for all the full body spa massages in the world.

Morgan wanted to wrap his arms around her entirely and trap her in his web. His hands ran down her arms; at first quickly, but eventually they became slow and leisurely as he felt; admired the skin below his fingertips. He found himself in the moment as he stopped the rubbing and gripped her wrists lightly, pulling them across her body and holding her tight against his chest; his arms over hers. He rested his chin on her shoulder and made the goose bumps return for other reasons.

"Warm yet?" he asked; his voice vibrating against her neck. Penelope found speaking hard to do as she tried to process all the sensations. His firm chest pressed into her back and the elusive force of contact made her feel a rush of overwhelming precondition.

She smiled and let an amiable laugh escape her throat as she let her head fall back over his shoulder. He squeezed her tighter and rocked her lightly in his arms with his own sustaining smile on his arresting face as he looked down and caught her gaze with his own.

"You're warmer than the sun." Garcia complimented feeling haziness surround her like fog on the shore.

"You're more striking than the sun." he countered charmingly making her laugh like a giddy schoolgirl.

"Oh Derek, you flatter me." Penelope mused. She slowly turned in his arms so she was face to face with him; his arms wrapped around her back soundly.

She wanted to kiss him. Oh, she wanted to kiss him so badly. But, what if she kissed him and he didn't want her to? What if he thought their friendship couldn't work since she made a move? What if he had a secret girlfriend he didn't tell anyone about? What if he laughed in her face because a guy like that would never, could never, be with a girl like her? What if?...

In the end, it didn't matter because he bent his head down and kissed her instead. She was frigid at first; unable to believe what just happened actually happened. His lips were softer, more voluptuous than she could have ever imagined. They were full and sustaining, never giving her a chance to fully digest their perplexity. Instinct kicked in and she kissed him back with all the want and desire that had been growing inside her for him. It was illuminating to finally know the taste of him; the feel of him.

Penelope melted in the arms of her knight in shining armor as she experienced the feel of being a damsel. He held her possessively, relishing the sexy woman in his arms. His mouth captured hers in repetitive motions of adoration. Kiss right after kiss, intensifying as he threw his entire existence into exposing his desire for her. His right hand fit in the groove of her neck and Garcia just imagined the two of them kissing in black and white on the vibrant streets of New York on V-J Day. That's how she felt inside, like a romantic character in history, a book, movie or…TV show. It was mind-sweeping, heart-pounding, speech-stuttering, skin-tingling…magic.

If neither believed in magic beforehand, they certainly did now. The sudden knock on the door was no surprise to Morgan, his room service had finally arrived. The only thing he wanted to consume at the current time was Penelope. He broke the kiss, but his forehead rested on hers with his eyes closed. "Stay here." he breathed out.

He drew himself away from her and went to answer the door. Garcia's lips were happily swollen and pink. Her breath; uneven and jagged, was the only thing keeping her under the definitive notion of reality. This kiss was a dream in her mind and her heart, but it had finally come out of the imaginary and into the realistic.

He rubbed the back on his neck with his hand as he pulled the door open.

"J.J." Morgan stated surprised.

"Morgan…Garcia." J.J. said with the same hint of satisfaction as earlier. "Um…Hotch wanted you to look over these files." She handed him some manila folders with labels and smiled politely. "See you guys." J.J. left quicker than she thought she would given the circumstances. She didn't want to intrude on whatever was hopefully going on in the room.

"Night, J.J." Morgan shut the door and turned around, awkwardly. He looked at Garcia and wasn't sure what to say; or if he should say anything.

"Garcie-" he started and shook his head bewilderedly, setting the folders down on the nearest table.

"Morgan, please don't say that was a mistake because if you did, I don't think I could handle it." she confessed honestly.

He looked at her like he had just stumbled into her secret Eric Estrada shrine.

"Garcia, I would never say that _that_ was a mistake." His words sang true, you could see it in his eyes. He walked over to her and enveloped her in a gracious hug, playing with her hair in the process.

There was another knock on his door at that time and he gave Garcia a look as he went to answer it. This time he checked the eye hole and saw for good it was his room service.

"Care to join me for dinner?" he asked with an opulent smile. "Please?"

"Well, since you said please." Penelope replied feeling bashful and at ease. Oh yeah, she would definitely have to write this down in her diary.

**A/N-Aye! This chapter was a little nail-biting, but I got through it. What do you think? Review my lovelies! Happy Reading!**


	3. Placebo

**A/N-Thanks for the reviews! I would like to personally bake each of you a batch of cookies! **

**Placebo **

Chapter 3

Morgan hadn't gone a minute without thinking about kissing Garcia. After sharing a club sandwich and fries with the blonde bombshell, he escorted her back to her room and cautiously pecked her on the lips before saying good night. It was a simple, direct kiss that left a distinction of possibility lingering in the air, even if it had been a subtle amount. Even a moron could see the fire that burned in their eyes at the contact. She shut the door quietly and gave him a shy smile.

Morgan felt like he was on top the world. He felt happiness and thrill run through his body like a shock of lightning to the ground. But as he headed back to his room, he thought about his rule. As much as he adored his baby girl, he wasn't supposed to let things escalate like they did. It was unprofessional and he made a promise that he wouldn't do such a thing. He needed to focus on his job, not his libido.

The adrenaline kicked in as he beat the hell out of the heavyweight bag in the hotel fitness room. He needed to let out all his frustrations and angst. Derek felt them building in him as his attraction for Garcia grew stronger. If he could have his way, he would storm right back up to her room, pound on her door till she let him in and then he would have his way with her all night long; like he had fantasized about so many times before. A marathon of love.

He angrily hit the bag as the fantasy ran over him. He could have a future with her if he wanted to. But, what made him so special? While he was out there living the dream with the one person he loved, he was taking the chance of someone else living their own dreams away from them. It was his job to protect, not to ignore.

His life always came second to that of his job; his beliefs. Evil was everywhere and it was Derek Morgan's choice to fight it till death. He didn't believe that one person could have both ways. You always had to give something up to achieve another. Life is a house of a million doors. If all doors are open, you get a draft. He wouldn't be the death of another person, he couldn't.

So, he bottled his feelings and kept moving forward. He beat the bag with anger and rage thinking of how unfair the world was. Garcia was his sun and his job played as storm clouds.

**XOXO**

"I kissed Morgan." Garcia blurted out to J.J. and Prentiss.

"What?" J.J. asked shocked. Prentiss' expression asked the same exact thing.

The three girls were all hanging out in J.J.'s room on the second floor, guiltily taking advantage of the mini bar for an evening cocktail to ease the stress of the day.

"It was right before you came in to give Morgan the folders." Garcia informed them. "It was absolutely incredible and now I can't get it out of my mind."

"Garcia, this is huge." J.J. expressed happily hugging her friend.

"Congratulations." Prentiss stated almost as pleased as J.J. She could sense there was something going on between her colleagues. She could feel it from the moment she became a part of the team. It was astounding to finally see that something had finally happened between the two. "You don't look happy."

Garcia seemed tense and anxious. Her hands played with each other and she found herself unsettled and eager to move around.

"It's just—after we kissed, I thought he would say something, express what he was feeling, but neither of us had anything to really say. We ate dinner together and he walked me to my door, gave me a good night kiss and then disappeared."

"Good night kiss?" Prentiss asked curiously.

"Just a peck. Not nearly as magical as the first one." Garcia replied bitterly. "I don't know what it was. Did I disappoint him?" she took a seat on the bed and sighed. "We went back to ourselves when we ate, made fun of reality TV and so on; normal us. Why didn't he ravage me? Am I that big of a regret?"

"Not at all, Garcia. Maybe he just needs time to figure some things out." J.J. comforted her friend with a hand on her back. "Give it time and I'm sure it'll finally make sense. This has been; what?...six, seven years in the making. Put yourself in Morgan's shoes."

"He's the one who kissed me!" Garcia expressed desperately.

"Oh." J.J. and Prentiss said in unison, realizing the situation. "Alright, alright." Prentiss started. "Maybe it's one of those things where he feels guilty about kissing you because he doesn't know what you're thinking when it comes to him. He's probably as equally confused as you are. Maybe you should go back and talk to him."

"I don't want to bother him." Garcia replied. "Not to mention how awkward it is to talk about, especially when I'm the only one thinking about it."

Her two friends wanted to comfort her, but they weren't really sure what to say. So, they offered her a glass of wine and the three girls made a night of it, unwinding and taking a break from their hectic schedules. Just what Garcia needed.

**XO**

"Another body's been found." Hotch stated displeased. "Jeffrey Carter; 25."

Everyone in the room groaned. This case was rapidly growing out of control; the team was no closer to finding the murderer. As they went over the facts, Hotch gave out assignments. Garcia was back on computers, this time looking for spyware in Caleb Michael and Jessie Metzler's computers.

Penelope was so frustrated as she went through all the computer files at Jessie's home; finding it completely clean. She couldn't get her mind off the kiss that she shared with the man who was standing in the same room as her. She kept glancing at Morgan who was going through Jessie's closet, looking for nothing in particular, examining anything that could give them a clue to go on.

"The house is clean. There aren't even any sunflower seeds here." Derek noted.

"Yeah, maybe—wait, hold on a sec." Penelope started putting two in two together. "This is Jessie's parents' home." She turned in the computer chair and looked up at a ready Morgan. "She was in transition to moving into the Meadowood Apartments two blocks from here." The light bulb went off in Morgan's head.

"This isn't her computer." Morgan whipped out his phone and dialed Hotch and informed him on the discovery. "Garcie, I could kiss you!" Derek enthused and realized the implication. Yeah…this wasn't awkward in the least amount…

"Come here, my stallion." Penelope said warmly standing up and hugging Morgan. He wrapped his arms around her and gave her a squeeze. Leaning his head down, he looked her in the eye with his dark orbs.

"Listen, we need to talk about last night." He said quietly.

"Good, I agree." She replied unwrapping herself from his grasp.

"I loved every minute about last night, I-I'm just-" he sighed.

"Morgan, please just say what you need to say." Penelope stressed. "I feel like I'm standing on needles."

He wanted to tell her about the argument he had with himself last night, but he found it mute. When he was around her, he wanted to relinquish all rights to his vocation and wisp her away to a secret location that no one would ever be able to find them at; a safe haven; utopia. It would be a dream and a reality all in one.

"You drive me crazy, Baby Girl." He galvanized with a smile. "It was more than just a kiss."

She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding along with a relieved smile.

"I want to take you somewhere special tonight." He said to her. "Me and You, 8pm tonight."

"Where to?" she asked feeling giddy.

"Secret location, off the grid." he informed.

"Sounds like a dream, Gorgeous."

"Alright, alright." Morgan replied looking forward to the evening plans. He couldn't restrain himself from staying clear of his rightful path. He earned a night out with his girl. Yes, his girl. He would make sure it was one of the best nights either had ever experienced.

**XOXO**

"I can't do this." Penelope stated feeling a million butterflies sputter around in her stomach. She applied her makeup thoroughly and imagined what the night would be like. It was a good thing that most of the clothing she owned was already night-on-the-town worthy.

Penelope looked over herself in the mirror. Her makeup was good. Hair; fabulous, she was dressed in a blue satin cocktail dress with a white knit poncho over the top of it, along with her nicest pair of pumps that she decided no girl should leave the house without; even on murder cases.

Soft, blonde curls fell around her face as she slightly adjusted the sequin covered barrette on the right side of her hairstyle.

Knock, knock, knock!

There was the sound she had been waiting to hear. She took a deep breath, smoothed down her dress and went to answer the door.

"Stunning." Morgan greeted her; admiring her fruitful outfit. "Absolutely beautiful."

She had no words. Garcia was too dumbfounded to speak to the dazzling man in front of her. Black slacks, black button-down shirt, scent of Claiborne Sport swathing her senses.

"You belong in an Abercrombie ad." Was the best she could do with an awestruck smile. Morgan laughed and looked down at his outfit.

"Just doing me." he replied with a grin. "Ready?"

"Detective Morgan, take me away!" Garcia pretended to buckle her hands together as if they were in handcuffs.

**XOXO**

Penelope laughed as she listened intently to Derek that night. The two of them were enjoying cocktails at a trendy little jazz club with live music a few miles from the hotel. Being flirty, whispering sweet nothings into each other's ears, listening to fine music. It all went hand in hand, making the evening special in every way.

But behind all that, Morgan was hiding guilt. He felt it in the pit of his stomach every time he looked at her. He was leading Garcia on unintentionally. He wanted to absorb himself in the night's possibilities and tomorrow's musings, but he knew he would have to untwine himself and get back to the real world eventually. The night was a pipedream on all things he aspired.

This was another reason he never enclosed himself solidly in serious relationships. Flings were so much more attainable; easier to handle than an actual person who played on your emotions. Love made you vulnerable. It exploited your privacy and trust; setting it on a pedestal for malicious people to destroy. He could promise her the world, but he could never give it to her.

"You want to dance?" he asked her to avoid the gloomy contemplations.

"You read my mind, Baby Doll." she retorted standing up after he grabbed her hand.

Pulling her to the middle of the dance floor, they danced romantically with one another. A deep blues song came on and he pulled her close. His right hand slid up to the back of her neck and it rested there; supporting, as they swayed to the music.

Garcia closed her eyes and rested her head against Morgan's chest. He was warm, firm and taunting her senses. She felt so at peace being here with him like this. It was as if all her fantasies were coming true, as if finally her luck had changed and things were working out in her favor. She had fallen even harder for her best friend and pretending like nothing happened at this point would be suicide.

Morgan held her like she was a fragile piece of artwork. Dipping her slowly when the song called for it and swaying her gently the rest of the time.

"You want to get out of here?" he asked her over the loud music as he felt his self-control start to crumble down like the Berlin Wall. Garcia stayed quiet and nodded her head definitively. She felt her insides start to squirm around like before; unsure of what was all entailed in the question.

The two decided to walk back to the hotel on the lovely night. They laughed at private jokes on the way back; best friends and so much more. The moon was bright, the night was warm, and the streets were crowded with a large array of people. It was a beautiful summer night in the middle of Albuquerque.

Finally standing back in front of Garcia's door, Morgan leaned against the frame and hovered over her.

"Thanks for joining me tonight." he said kindly.

"I'm still holding you to that lobster dinner back home, so don't get cheap on me." Garcia said with a flirtatious smile. Morgan held back his laugh and rolled his eyes, nodding at his word.

"Promise is a promise." he said. The two stood there for a few seconds, Morgan deliberating, Garcia waiting… He wanted to kiss her passionately and take her breath away with an endless supply of bliss. He was going to…but he decided against it. "Good night." he said before securely kissing her on the cheek and pulling away. She was brutally disappointed and looked at Morgan like he had grown three heads.

"Wait, that's all?" she asked desperately; feeling insecure. "Spontaneous dinner at a jazz club, dancing, flirting and…that's all? My good night kiss is on the cheek?"

"Garcie, I—" Morgan felt like he had blown it big time. That pained look on her face made his gut wrench. It was a horrible feeling seeing that poor, lost puppy dog look on her innocent and trusting face.

"I'm sorry." she apologized. "I took this whole thing out of context. I should have known better. Friends are off limits." Before he could explain, Penelope disappeared behind her solid door. The tears came only seconds after the door automatically locked. She stood there against the frame as he knocked repeatedly trying to talk to her through the wood. She didn't know how she would be able to face him feeling like such a fool. It was a night that she _wanted_ to remember forever and was now _doomed_ to remember forever. It was the night she got rejected by Derek Morgan.

**A/N-Poor Garcia! I was sad to write this chapter, but it's just a stepping stone to getting to the fairytale beginning (Yes, not ending) that both of them deserve. Leave some reviews and tell me what you think! Love ya! Happy Reading!**


	4. Blissful Burdens

**Hey there! I would like to say Gratzie for the reviews, I really hope you guys are enjoying yourselves while reading this fic. I will not give you excuses if I have factual errors in my stories, I'm only human and I hope to correct as many as I can; as I grow as a writer. I've been on fanfic for 6 solid years and it's been one of the most honorable and exciting things I have ever been a part of. So, thanks. -SweetAngelofMusic**

**Blissful Burdens**

Chapter 4

"A couple have just been reported missing." J.J. whispered to Hotch the next morning at the police station. He turned to looked at her; immediately alarmed. "Jess and John Roberts. They were reported missing by John's mother; Bridget, after they failed to show up at the art gallery opening in the square last night."

"It's been less than 48 hours, maybe they just forgot. It happens to the best of us." he edified her under the faulty circumstances.

"Not when it's the grand opening of your "own mother's gallery." J.J. informed using air quotes via the woman in question. "His mother seems very paranoid, she's been watching the case on the news since the beginning, but she says that something's not right; her son wouldn't miss one of the most important days of her life; one she's been working on for twenty years. She called their cells, home, Jess' work, even stopped by the house. They're MIA."

"Get the team together in the conference room." Hotch instructed. "If this is our unsub's doing, this can't get any further."

**XO**

Morgan stirred his coffee and kept a good distance between him and Garcia. She was seated at the table in the conference room, next to Reid with Morgan standing over to the side. He tried talking to her earlier, but he got a solid snub as she casually pulled Prentiss into conversation before he had a chance to act. He would have to confront her in a private location so she wouldn't have any good reason not to talk to him.

"Actually." Garcia spoke pulling Morgan out of his stupor. "Morgan would probably be more useful investigating the two new missing person cases. He's really no good to me when I'm on the computers."

"That's not a bad idea." Hotch notified. "We've been missing your sharp eye on the battlefront Morgan."

"But, Sir." Derek interjected.

"Morgan can go with Reid and Prentiss and check out the missing couples home and Rossi and I can go to the last two crime scenes and look for clues." Hotch confirmed. "Garcia, you can analyze the laptops here at the station for precautionary matters. You never know if our unsub wants to return in bad taste."

"That's fine." Penelope confirmed feeling daggers coming from Morgan's direction.

"I have a meeting with the KRQE News 13 in an hour. We're giving a PSA to all locals on the newest security measures." J.J. told the team. " The unsub is a full throttle locomotive at this point. We're going to have to implode the tracks to catch this guy."

"All we have to go on is the unsub likes to eat sunflower seeds. We don't have nearly enough to go on here. Anyone and everyone is a suspect at this point and we can't even profile the unsub because we don't know what we're dealing with." Rossi stood up feeling just as frustrated as Hotch looked. "How is it, that no video surveillance; even in the recreational center, have caught a glimpse of the murderer. Or, the actual residence of our victims. Nobody noticed a straggler peeping through people's windows?"

A lightbulb went of in Reid's head as he analyzed what Rossi had just pointed out.

"Guys." Reid stood up, placing his hands down on the table. "The recreational center is the one place all of the vicims came together. It's the one place they all went to regularly."

"He's right." J.J. confirmed. "Jennifer Johnson volunteered at the same art class Tyler Mission taught."

"Caleb Michaels; little league coach, practiced at the baseball field on the park grounds right next to the recreational center." Prentiss added.

"Monica Kellar and Leann Edwards?" Rossi asked. The team couldn't figure that one out until Prentiss remembered seeing pompoms near the benches when she investigated the crime. It made her wonder.

"Cheerleading coaches?" Prentiss asked aloud. "Both beautiful, friendly, peppy young women in their mid 20's reliving their high school golden years through younger girls and pompoms."

"Possibly." J.J. replied. "I can confirm or deny it through the squad."

"What about Jessie Metzler?" Hotch asked.

"Concessions?" Reid asked. "A lot of the people who work concessions do it free of charge. It' goes along with being a part of the community and trying to make a difference through deliverance to children and reconnecting society as a whole." he talked with his hands as the other's started to realize the outcome. "It seems our unsub isn't too keen on trying to make a positive difference in the growing community. He's punishing those who do good."

**XO**

"We're looking for a male; ethnicity is undetermined at this point, who is targeting individuals who are trying to make a positive difference to children and the growing community. All the previous victims contributed to recreational activities, such as sports, cheerleading, crafts and other things that fall into aid and support through volunteering." J.J. press conference was going well, the point was too get the message to everyone. Nobody was safe and it was there job to show how delicate the case had become. While J.J. and Hotch handled the press, Morgan, Reid and Prentiss returned to the park.

"Our unsub first targets his victims by sending them viruses through their e-mails. If you receive any type of spam e-mail from a site called livefreeordiedotorg, please notify the police right away. It's a good chance that you could be the next victim. This murderer cares not of gender, race or size; he will attack whenever mood strikes; whenever he feels threatened by a "do-gooder."

The press went loco with questions and J.J. handled them very well. They were on the track of catching the killer. Good news struck when they found out the "missing" couple from earlier was no longer missing; just strategically eschewing.

The team hadn't taken a break and had actually gotten several tips since the conference; each sadly led nowhere. Reid had fallen asleep in his chair; resting perfectly still in an upright position. Prentiss sighed deeply as she tried to stay awake, reading through files.

Morgan grabbed two coffees and proceeded over to Penelope who was typing so fast she left a trail of smoke. She had that determined stare towards the screen, refusing to take a break like her team members. Garcia wouldn't quit till they were one inch closer to catching the fiend.

Suddenly, Morgan pulled up a chair next to her; placing her coffee a reachable; but safe distance from the laptop.

"Can't talk right now." She said coldly to him as she hacked through all e-mails on Leann Edwards computer.

"You can make time." Morgan said quietly trying not to disturb the other two.

"No." she stopped and turned to him; giving a stern and final look. "I really can't." Penelope swiftly turned back to the screen and continued what she was doing.

Morgan sighed, leaned back in his chair and took a long drink of coffee. He had pissed off the girl of his dreams and coincidentally enough; his best friend. She wanted nothing to do with him; then again, could he blame her?

"Garcie, please." He begged quietly, leaning forward.

"Morgan." Penelope stopped her typing summarily and looked down at the keys; anywhere but his pleading face. "I feel like a real idiot right now and I don't want to talk about it. It was my mistake, I was expecting too much. Can we please just forget it happened and move on? Please, Derek." She finally turned her gaze and looked at him with hurt eyes. "Please." The word came out as an almost inaudible whisper.

"It wasn't a mistake, for anybody." He argued.

She sighed, frustrated. Garcia hadn't slept at all last night and now she was on pins and needles. It was 11:15 at night and she was running on coffee and a pack of orange tic tacs she found at the bottom of her purse; future reference, not a good combination.

"I'm too tired to do this." She confessed.

"I'm sorry, let's talk about it later." He comforted.

"Not this-" she indicated the two of them talking. "I mean this." she waved at the computer. "I am just so tired, I have been looking at scripts and encryptions for hours and my head hurts. I feel so stressed out that we're not going to catch this guy and it's going to be on my head. I haven't found any sourcable clues for you guys to run on and now my names going to be on another victims headstone. I just can't do what you guys expect from me, I'm running in circles, looking for things that aren't there and now I see spots. Oh God, I see spots. I'm going blind!"

"Garcie, calm down!" Morgan said grabbing her and pulling her into a hug. "You're just overwhelmed, breathe. It'll be fine. Without you here, we wouldn't even be this far. You picked up on so many things that we overlooked and it's because of you that we're going to catch this guy. It'll be alright. Trust me." She looked up and got lost in his over charming and trusting eyes; her first mistake. "Let's get some air."

She nodded slowly and let him help her up. The two of them proceeded outside; where there was a light breeze. Leaning back against the rail, Morgan watched Penelope take a deep breath in and out. She felt calmer already and more relaxed. Morgan always made her feel better. She was worried that their misperception could change all that.

"Penelope, I never wanted to hurt you." Derek told her.

"I understand that when we kissed, we crossed many boundaries." She said carefully. "But, I was alright crossing those, I thought since you kissed me, that you'd be alright with it too."

"It was perfect." He reassured her. "I did want that—I do want that."

"Then why do I have such a hankering feeling in my gut that you despised it?" she asked him.

Morgan shook his head slowly, he didn't want to give her the wrong answer. Truth be told, even if he found the right answer, it would still be wrong.

"Guys, we're all returning to the hotel now. Hotch says we need our rest." J.J. stuck her head out of the door and was immediately alarmed when she saw the pained looked on both Morgan and Garcia's face. She hoped they would be able to sort out whatever was going on between the two of them. Love was a many-splendored thing, but also a very chaotic, stressful thing. J.J. knew that through experience.

"Thanks, J.J." Garcia said.

"Baby Girl, can we please finish this when we get back?" he asked.

"I'm still your baby girl?" she asked with happy sadness.

"Always." He smiled softly at her; hearteningly. She hesitated and then answered him.

"Fine, but don't make me cry this time or else." She punched his chest playfully as he took her under his arm and squeezed her to him, choking out a laugh.

When they all retired to their hotel rooms half an hour later, Garcia pulled off her scarf and threw it on the bed as Morgan shut the door behind him.

"Want some coffee?" she asked him as she plugged in the mini coffee pot that came with the room. If she didn't get caffeine in her, she would faint from exhaustion. The idea of Morgan carrying her to bed in his arms satisfied her for about a second, then she felt the heartache that she had been feeling all day long.

"Uh, sure." he agreed taking a seat on her bed.

As it brewed, Garcia looked for anything to make the awkward tension in the room disappear. She turned the TV on to a medium level and opened her window to the sound of a busy street below.

"Garcie?" he asked after she pretended to be looking for something in her travel case. "Garcie?" Morgan knew what was going on here. She didn't want to talk to him, he could tell by the way she busied herself with ineffectual tasks; anything to put off their discussion. He stood up and walked over to her, annoyed by her immaturity. "Penelope, relax." He gripped her shoulders and made her freeze instantly.

The memory of the movement that led to the kiss instantly flooded her brain and she felt weak and incompetent under his force; blissful but burdening.

"I need to explain something to you." He said slowly pulling her over to the bed. Gently forcing her to sit down, he took a seat on the mattress next to her. She was hesitant to look him in the eye; intimidated, scared of what she would confess to him in her gaze. "Damn it Garcia, look at me." He gently turned her head to look him in the eye and became spellbound with the softness of her skin against his hand. Penelope looked up at him; innocence in her eyes.

Morgan felt the need to protect her from all harm. He wanted to be her shield in the fight of good vs. evil. He counted himself as her biggest threat, but it didn't stop him from caving in. It didn't stop him from suddenly pushing his lips atop hers in a swift act of ardor. It didn't stop him from overcoming her body with his and pushing her down on the bed and condemning her every thought till they all led to one thing; desire.

It was as if the whole world flew away at that moment. It was just the two of them in the heat of the moment, in the heat of each other's arms. The room became the sanctuary both parties had been stinging for; a catacomb to relish in dark deeds.

It felt like a long-awaited dream had come true when he introduced himself to her; savoring every inch, every sound, it was all so illuminating. Garcia relinquished all rights to him. She would give him her soul if he had only asked. It became apparent that he was the only thing she ever needed; only thing she ever wanted. He was her everything; sun, moon, stars, breath. Without him, she did not live; merely existed.

Morgan had taken her by storm, leaving behind a trail of debris consisting of all her pain, worries and strife. Not only was he the storm, but also the rainbow.

It was when Morgan stared up at the ceiling a few hours later had realized the true mechanism of his actions. He had ultimately crossed the line. There was no undoing what he had done. It felt like a mistake; a beautiful mistake. But now, he had to take responsibility for their actions.

They had been safe, of course. But besides that, he had to stop what he was doing. He had to stop acting like a hormonal crazed teenager who stumbled into his dad's collection of Playboy's.

Turning his head to look at the clock that read 2:14am, Derek slowly and gently crept out of the bed. He got dressed as quickly as possible and wasn't sure if he should leave a note or just sneak out. He felt utter guilt in every aspect though.

"Where are you going?" he heard Garcia ask in a quiet and tired voice.

"Uh." He froze. "I was-heading back to my room." He told her honestly.

"Why don't you just stay here?" she asked shifting in bed.

He was hesitant to reply, she could see the remorse written on his face from the natural moon light that drifted into the room and that made a horrible feeling run through her.

"What wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing." He said it too nonchalantly to be just that.

"Morgan, please be honest with me." Garcia rose out of bed wrapping the sheet around her body.

Morgan didn't want to do this right now. But if he didn't, he would hate himself even more.

"Garcie, I took advantage of you." he told her. "I shouldn't have taken things so far without fully giving myself to you."

"What do you mean?" the tears started to swell in her eyes. "Did you regret it? Did you regret… everything?"

"No, no, no! Of course not." He told her walking over to her, but she pushed him away. "It was all perfect, I shouldn't have been so cavalier about it, though. I want you, Penelope." He told her outright. "I just can't have you." His words stung as he said them. Sadness flew out with the words, you could hear it, feel it; it surrounded.

"I'm right here!" she told him as a single tear rolled down her cheeks. "You can have all of me, take it all." She indicated herself as a few more tears streamed down her face. "I want to be with you, I want a life with you, Derek."

Morgan was so frustrated, hearing those words come from her mouth made his heart hurt. It weighed him down so he felt like the world was resting on his shoulders.

"I can't have you, Penelope!" he yelled to her definitively. "I can't protect you!" Those were the words that made him break down. It had finally come out of the shadows. He had confessed to her that he was not suitable to take care of her.

She looked at him with big eyes; stubborn eyes.

"I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself." she told him peacefully. Garcia wanted him to know it; believe it because it was true.

"No, you can't!" he told her. "Even the best, well-trained agents in the bureau can't be protected! If anything ever happened to you, I wouldn't be able to live with myself! You're the perfect target for someone getting back at me. There's nothing, no one I would try harder to protect, than you." Morgan's words were so solid, so concrete nothing could come between them and the truth. The pleading desperation in his eyes for her to understand was almost plagued by the isolation in his tone.

Garcia walked over to him and welcomed him in a heartwarming hug.

"If anyone tried to hurt you, I guarantee that I would take them out before they had a shot at getting you." she said quietly.

"Garcia, that's too much to ask for. I won't let your life be turned upside down for me."

"Would you please just stop?" she asked pulling away. "You act like I'm dying. I'm fine, you're fine. Every day is unpredictable." Garcia said with determination. "That doesn't mean we put off living because we're too scared to. We live each day to the fullest and make sure it counts. We need to live for the victims who never had a chance to live. We will do it in their honor and make it worth it." Penelope was a strong woman. "If something happens; God forbid, we need to remember all the wonderful memories and know that there are people out there who care about us and love us. No one is ever alone."

Morgan could clearly see what he failed to see before. Life is a scary, tricky place but it's also a beautiful, joyful place where you can live and love and cherish. Penelope Garcia saw the glass half full whilst he saw the glass half empty. From now on, they would both appreciate the substance in the glass instead of worrying about it overflowing or running out.

"Now, can we please go back to bed?" she asked him. Morgan smiled lightly as he squeezed Garcia. "I'm drained."

"Yeah." he said warmly. "Can I cuddle my baby girl?"

"Cuddle away." she replied crawling into bed.

**A/N-Yowza! That was pretty intense, huh? This is not the end although it may seem like it. Keep reading cause there's a lot more coming in future chapters! Review time!**


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